title: Dry mouth and dietary quality in older adults in north Carolina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify prevalence of dry mouth, association between dry mouth and beverage intake and dietary quality, and association between dry mouth and self-reported dietary accommodations to oral health deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study; data from self-reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural North Carolina counties with substantial African-American and American Indian populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred twenty-two participants aged 60 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data included the 11-item Xerostomia Inventory (higher scores connote greater effect from dry mouth), a food frequency questionnaire (converted into Health Eating Index-2005 scores), and survey items on foods modified before consumption or avoided because of oral health problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dry mouth was associated with being female, lower education, and income below the poverty level. Although overall beverage consumption did not vary with dry mouth, consumption of certain sugar-sweetened beverages was positively associated with dry mouth. Overall dietary quality did not differ with dry mouth, but more-severe dry mouth was associated with lower intake of whole grains and higher intakes of fruits. Dry mouth was strongly associated with self-reported modification and avoidance of foods. Those in the highest tertile of dry mouth were more likely to modify several foods than those in the lowest tertile and were more likely to avoid three or more foods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older adults appear to modify foods or selectively avoid foods in response to perceived dry mouth. Despite these behaviors, dry mouth does not result in poorer dietary quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. squandt@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
authors.forename: Margaret R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Savoca
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ronny A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Gregg H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohrman
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001628:Beverages; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000453:epidemiology*